The president has derided American exceptionalism throughout his — I admit — very brief but transforming political career.

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The relativism of his position notwithstanding, he fails to understand what makes us exceptional. America has been different for decades: Unlike the rest of the developed world, we had freedom, we were a religious people, we were a hardworking people. No government dared to disarm us. But now we are freely casting away those freedoms that made us different, better than other merely developed nations. The president’s skepticism about American exceptionalism is self-fulfilling and it’s the president who is skeptical about it.

He plunders our wealth; he wants us disarmed. He takes away our right to practice our religion. This is madness, and it must stop. And so it was bittersweet as I attended and watched as he was inaugurated for a second term: It was clear from his address that he has no desire of moving from his left-wing base of supporters. What his election indicates is something I love about this country — tolerance — but what he has pledged to do to our country is take away so much that makes us great.